Civilian Traffic Surge Pressures IAF Airfields Amid AAI Expansion Delays

Fast Summary

• The Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) delayed expansions at indian Air Force (IAF) airfields, opened for civilian operations under the UDAN scheme, are causing logistical challenges.
• A senior defense Ministry official noted rising civilian traffic is impacting IAF activities since the air force has provided significant technical support for these operations.
• 39 IAF airfields across cities like Hindon, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Leh, Pune, and Srinagar were made available for regional air connectivity under UDAN.
• Hindon airport faces operational strain with daily passenger capacity exceeded regularly (300-capacity terminal handling over 400 passengers). Limited parking bays cause delays in flight turnaround times. Parking expansions initially planned by AAI have not occurred as civilian operations began in 2019.
• Operators now seek extended hours beyond dawn-to-dusk schedules and weekend use of facilities amidst rising traffic volumes. A senior AAI official confirmed expansion plans are under review but will require time to implement.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The logistical strain on facilities shared between the IAF and civilian aviation underscores key challenges in balancing military readiness with infrastructural growth for growing regional connectivity needs under schemes like UDAN. Insufficient investment by the Airports Authority of India into dedicated parking bays and facility upgrades appears to disrupt efficiency both for commercial flights and potentially core IAF activities that underpin national security measures.While demand for high-frequency domestic travel reflects a positive trend toward greater accessibility across India’s regions, it highlights shortcomings in planning infrastructure proportional to this growth-often relying excessively on temporary support from military assets without timely capacity-building efforts from civil agencies like AAI.

The broader implication stresses better coordination between governmental bodies responsible for dual-use infrastructure to ensure enduring development that benefits India’s aviation sector without compromising defense objectives.

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